iPhone 4S video compared side-by-side with Canon 5D Mark II [video]

Robino Films has posted a video which compares 1080p HD video samples captured by both the iPhone 4S and the Canon 5D Mark II side-by-side. The videographer said the iPhone 4S and Canon EOS-5D Mark II were set so that the frame rate, picture style, exposure and shutter speed were “as close as possible.” The Canon 5D Mark II was equipped with a 50mm lens, ISO was set to 160 ~ 640, shutter speed was set to 1/60th, auto-white balance was activated and the camera was set to record at 30 frames per second at 1080p. The iPhone 4S was simply set to AE/AF locked. The results are quite impressive and aside from some changes in color, the videos actually look quite similar. The Canon 5D Mark II with average lens runs around $3,000 and up. Be sure to catch the video after the break below.

Engadget also posted pics between the 4S and SGS II. The SGS II clearly had the better pictures. The Amaze 4G beat both of them though.

Pics dont lie.

zacamandapio

@facebook-100000797708370:disqus
Neither Shakira’s hips.

Anonymous

PC world test was much better than Robino Films. Don’t fight the truth.

numetheus

@kyle4miller:disqus Windows Phone 7 is not Windows. Windows Phone 7 is a blip in the radar compared to Android and iOS. This is a comparison amongst mobile phones, how does Windows relate?

Anonymous

They kind of are. They are the biggest hardware review magazine in the World after all.

Anonymous

Look, even Apple haters all know that the iPhone 4S, hands down, has THE best camera for stills and video on any smartphone. As a matter of fact, it beat the previous title holder, the iPhone 4.

We get it, it’s amazing, we all agree. Is it as good as a Canon 5D with some L lens on it? No. Is it close enough that a bunch of people on the internet will wow in amazement when you put the 2 side by side in online 1080p streaming compressed video? Yes. It’s not uncommon for my wife’s Canon S95 to take better looking video then my 550d w/ the 17-55mm EFS on it. 350 bucks vs 2,100. I’ll even go as far as any half decent consumer camera with an HD video mode, will yield the same “OMFG IT”S SO CLOSE TO A 5D” results, especially if all you show are slow panning shots in broad daylight. The extra money you invest in a 5D isn’t PURELY for the act of just taking ANY video. There’s alot of other features that this video cleverly didn’t try and test. Lowlight, fast action, manual controls, range, etc. etc.

In the end, what we’re all really oogling, is the mere fact that it can take good 1080p HD video. There’s a lot of sub 300 dollar devices that can do that. Let’s give credit where it’s due, and all agree the iphone 4S is the best camera in a phone, but the kind of half-truth sensationalism brought on like “5D VS IPHONE 4S!!!!” that commonly hovers around Apple products and community is exactly why people have such a strong reaction to it. It gets old.

Anonymous

You are not correct. The sites that performed professional testing of cameras (PC World) determined that Samsung Galaxy SII has better still and video camera than iPhone 4S. It’s that simple. They also showed that iPhone 4S’ camera works worse than Nikon’s cheap ($250) P&S camera.

Anonymous

You are not correct. I didn’t say ALL point and shoots, I said any half decent one that takes HD video. If a cheap Nikon could not compare to an iPhone 4S, then obviously it is not half-decent.

I don’t have any experience with an SGS2 (yet, Prime.. here i come), but by all accounts, the iPhone 4S’s camera is pretty damn incredible for a phone. As a matter of fact, my wife’s just came in about 4 hours ago and I’ve been playing with all night. The clarity of the pictures and video’s is as expected, but I was really only impressed with the speed. I freaking hate slow cameras on phones. Talk about quality all you want, but when you’re waiting 5 seconds for the thing to fire up, then wait for the AF to dial in, it’s useless.

On a completely different note, Siri is totally fail. It doesn’t understand at least half of what I say that are specific to the context of using the phone and/or searching for information. It’s incredible at doing what Apple WANTS you to do with it. I.E. make appointments, call people, ask typical internet’y questions, set your alarm clock, etc. Go 1 inch outside it’s comfort zone, it pretty much always defaults to “search the web”, aka “im useless”.

It is nice how it automates the process of a lot of mundane phone tasks. Sending SMS’s, emails, calling people, appointments, etc. Overall, it’s not .00001% as revolutionary as anyone is saying it is. It’s 10000 times more humanized then Google voice search, and about 3% more useful. Translation… meh.

Anonymous

you are wrong apple has the best hardware and software hands down. That is why 4 million sold in the first weekend alone. FACT

DougB541

Sooo…how can i tell the quality of the video when its so tiny?

Anonymous

Exactly. This is a BS comparison. Yes under perfectly controlled conditions any camera will look better than it is. A digital point and shoot holds zero candles to the quality of a DSLR for obvious reasons. The iPhone is a freakin point and shoot people.

http://inthecompanyofus.net Benjamin Southworth

Interestingly i found it was the 5D that held my focus more, when watching them. It was sharper in lot’s of cases, and didn’t seem to have the same issues with digital billboard.

That said, as someone about to start filmaking, I’m happy about my idea of using my iPhone 4S as 2nd camera to get the 2nd shot when doing interviews.

Anonymous

I agree but still it is an amazing feat for a camera phone, was long ago we all had really bad camera’s on flip phones.

Anonymous

the 5d looked like it had better natural color.

psu12

So whats the point of this? You’re pretty much inferring the iPhone is as good as the Mark II. If your going to compare the iPhone 4S camcorder to anything else it should at least be an Android equivalent.

Anonymous

pc world did a test check that out

Kevin

PC World showed that the Samsung Galaxy SII was equally good as a camera and superior at taking video. As seven2k said, check it out. They have tons of examples and they used good methodology in their tests.

Anonymous

lol Android

iPhone 4S, bringing the pain to camera companies everywhere.

http://twitter.com/UrbanEnigma Yves

It’s so funny to me how BGR neglects to post on so much other legitimate tech news but reports on something like this

Loke662

HA lets see indoor or low light conditions, then i’ll pass judgement.

Anonymous

where is the video comparing build design of the iphone 4s to the samsung galaxy sII when dropped from various heights?

Oh that’s right.. it’s on tech crunch.

Anonymous

There seems to be a lot of comparison articles all of a sudden.

From what I’ve seen/read not a single device can sweep away a win from every category.

The Bionic on one review had some amazing video quality in a low light setting, but did fair to poor in all the other categories.

From what I’ve seen today you could argue between the iPhone 4s, Galaxy S2, and the HTC Amaze 4G

We still haven’t seen what the Spyder/Razr or the Samsung Prime can do.

For starters , DSLR cameras were never made expensive for their videos quality, but for their pictures.

Anonymous

Wow! I was gonna upgrade my T2i to a 5D, but after watching this… I’m getting an iPhone bitches!!!

numetheus

Better watch out. Android fanatics are mindless and will bash you for saying you like an Apple product or anything not Android for that matter.

Bullet Tooth Tony

ok…. I guess it’s respectable, but the colors are way off, it doesn’t focus as well, and we’re displaying very limited uses… go indoors, and let’s try to set the aperture to a shallow depth of field to get real artsy… I can certainly see cell phones kicking point-and-shoots to the curb… but DSLR’s are a loooong ways off. Micro 4/3rds is barely scratching that surface. DSLR’s are still much more versatile, sharper… and when you get into those higher end territories, like 7/5/1D… way too accurate to match.

Supermartin73

So money does buy a better camera, the Canon wins in each comparison.

Anonymous

Next they’re going to compare the iPhone to a black hawk helicopter. I’m sure they can fabricate some relation like they did in this “test”

Anonymous

I am sure if this was a comparison using an Android phone all us Goofans (aka Apple Haters) would have said “heck yeah, you show them Android!” or something to that effect! :-)

Anonymous

weird black lines scrolling through the billboard in the iPhone video

Anonymous

Wonder when BGR is going to report on the new PC World article that declares that Android phones have a better camera… Oh wait… BGR would not report that…

Anonymous

That’s right ZAPATITO! And what about the report on CNN that states that Avatar 2 is being filmed with Android phones? They say that Android phones have better cameras than Red Cameras.

Zac Caslin

They would if it were true.

Anonymous

Why are the digital billboards flickering on the 4S vids but not the 5D?

Anonymous

Pretty soon you guys will be comparing this thing to the hubble telescope. Sadly, it still wouldn’t be big enough to insert into your mAnginas’!

Scott

It’s sad that most posting here are obviously not intelligent enough to understand this isn’t a “whats better” comparison, a Canon DSLR camera is going to be better than that of a cell phone that should go without saying. It’s jst a demonstration of how good a camera phone can look and no more.

Android fanatics seem to want to take offense by bringing the Galaxy S II (awesome phone) into the comments. Why does one phone always have to be better than the other, why can’t those who happen to have an iPhone enjoy it and those who have an Android phone enjoy it?

Anonymous

Um, because they want to know how good the Galaxy S II camera is too? Same as the reason you’re here. Unless you just came here to post your complaint…

Scott

I didn’t post a complaint…just an observation.

Bringit

But with Android you can get a free Big Mac, and RIM gives you a few free Apps (but no service).

Anonymous

Sadly I don’t carry a tripod with my iPhone. So I would’ve liked to see how handheld video (motion) and low light video turn out, side-by-side.

Anonymous

The iphone 4S has motion control as far as I believe! Both pictures and Video.

RH

NOT a valid test! Ok hot shots…
Now turn the table…take photos with both and see which one is better.
I have a Nikon Dslr and I never shoot video with what is a STILL camera.
Yeah, it “will” do video, but that is not is design.

Anonymous

The video does look similar once reduced to the 50X100 resolution. I actually tried it with my pin-hole camera and it looked very similar too. Bring it back to the full 1080p and then we will talk.

http://twitter.com/tiroger Roger Lefort

Man, is there anything this magical iPhone 4 can’t do?!?

http://twitter.com/4kath4 Katherine Luding

30fps on that monster camera with 1080p is simply not enough. I always shoot at 60fps that then it looks WAAAAY better than the Apple camera (or the video above). Sigh. Not a fair comparison.

Anonymous

Movies are only at 24, TV is only at 30. So in the real world, no one cares about 60 except on your PC.
It’s completely FAIR. Both set the same. Doesn’t matter one can record at a faster frame rate, that’s not what’s being tested. It’s a fair test to compare how well a tiny Cell phone Camera does in comparison to something much larger. A Dedicated Device, the Canon 5D everything else being equal.

Anonymous

This is the funniest comparison I’ve ever read. Have not had such a good laugh in weeks. Why don’t you compare the iphone 4s to a red 1 next. This shit is way over the top.